Vacuum cleaning machine



June 10, 1930. P. BRETON VACUUM CLEANING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 14, 1927 June 10, 1930. P. BRETON 1,752,142

' VACUUM CLEANINGv MACHINE Filed Jan/14, 1927 s Sheets-Sheet 2 June 10,1930. P, BRETQN 1,762,142

VACUUM CLEANING, MACHINE Filed Jan. 14. 1927 s sheets-sheet a Patented June V10, 1930 um'rso STATES PATENT? OFFICE Application filed January 14, 1927, Serial No. 191,097, and in Belgium February 5, 1926.

The present invention relates to improvements in vacuum cleaning machines of the type described in applicants co-pending application Serial No. 76,951, filed December 12,

1925, which has matured in Patent Number One of the objects of my invention is to provide a construction in which the wiping element which is-combined with the suction o nozzle is located in advance of the latter, in-

stead of behind as has hitherto been thecase.

A further object is to provide a machine in which the liquid receiving chamber serves not only as such but simultaneously as distributing reservoir for the wash-liquor.

An additional object is to provide an easily detachable filtering element in connection with the receiving reservoir and arranged so as to purify the wash liquor prior to its redistribution and reuse.

Still another object is to provide an arrangement of baflies for diminishing the back and forth movement of wash liquid in the receivin chamber.

Ad itional objects will appear in the course of the detailed description which will now be given, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the bottom part of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 with the brush removed;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section of part of the apparatus represented in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section of the same machine, showing a somewhat different form of construction and assembly than that shown in the preceding figures;

Fig. 5 is a second embodiment of the 1I1V6I1 tion shown in section and with the machine in scrubbing position;

Fig. 6 is a detail of the apparatus shown in Fig. 5;

' Fig. 7 is a section of a third embodiment of the invention;

'Fig. 87is a plan of the apparatus illustrated in Fi Fig 9 represents the handle locking mechanism of the machine shown in Fig. 7 w1th the locking elements occupying an intermediate position.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings, there 1s shown a suction assembly comprising a handlel connected to a convenient source of suction; a liquid receiving chamber 2, a suctlon nozzle 3, and a suction tube 4 terminating in a bafile 5. Nozzle 3 is especially designed to aspirate liquids and includes a long, narrow suction slot 34 terminating in intermediate receiver 33 which latter communicates with suction tube 4. A liquid filtering assembly is built into receiving chamber 2, preferably in the position shown in the'drawings, and comprises a shell a, a bottom closure I) screwed or otherwise attached to shell a, a perforated top closure 0, a filtering material d of cotton waste, asbestos, sand or other material, and some form of valve for controlling the discharge end of the filter. In the form of machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the filter valve consists of a rod h slidably mounted in passage 6 forming the discharge orifice in bottom closure 6 at one end of the machine and in a packed guide-way i at the other end, a washer g insuring a tlght closure at the bottom end of the filter, and a bent lever j for reciprocating the valve rod. The lever j is provided with a spring tending to maintain the filter valve in closed position. Alternatively the filter valve may be constructed as shown in Fig. 4. Here bottom closure b is fitted with a rotatable valve In. By turning the handle h shown in Figure 4,- communication between the filter and the discharge passage through I) may be established or interrupted as desired. Handle h (shown in Figure 4) is mounted rotatably in receiving shell 2 in a manner similar to the reciprocable form of valve shown in Fig. 1. The vacuum washing assembly is completed by a brush 36 mounted substantially at right angles to the suction nozzle and a wiper 12 which may be conveniently clamped between the back of the .brush and the body of the suction nozzle.

Brush 36 is, preferably, made detachable, and

communicates through a series of perforations 0 in its back with a liquid feeding chamber 7 leading to the discharge end of the filter.

It-has been found advantageous to mount the wiper in front as shown, inasmuch as this permits the machine to be dragged instead of being pushed and prevents the wlper from jamming. A discharge conduit t fitted w th a screw plug u may be provided for cleaning chamber 2, and wheels 35 may be provided for facilitating movement of the machine over the surface to be cleaned.

In the form of machine illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, the suction assembly is substantially the same as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The filtering contrivance is here especially designed to facilitate its detachment and cleaning. For this purpose a cylindrical flanged capsule m is arranged to be screwed into a corresponding orifice in the wall of receiving chamber 2, and a plug 9 closes the end of said capsule. A series of aligned passages s in plug 9 and p in capsule m permit communication between chamber 2 and the interior of the filter assembly. The filtering medium is clamped in position between g and m and discharges purified liquid to tuben controlled by needle valve 0. Tube 12 and valve 0 are preferably mounted in alignment in the position shown. Valve 0 is opened or closed by a reciprocable control as in Fig. 1, by a rotatable spigot as in Fig. 4, or by a needle valve mounted on and controlled by rod h as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

"The ends of passages 8 may be counter sunk or otherwise enlarged as at 1' to facilitate alignment with passages 1). Tube n communicates directly with the back of brush 36.

The modified form of apparatus shown in Figs. 7 to 9 is especially designed to facilitate manipulation, to save space (vertical height) and to permit constructing the re ceiving chamber of sheet metal. The machines shown in Figs. 1 and 2, being in the form of elongated cylinders, and somewhat awkward to handle, require considerable working space, and in their construction, generally require castings (usually aluminium) for forming the body of chamber 2. The castings are somewhat subject to corrosion and are fairly expensive. In the form of machine shown in Figs. 7 to 9,-receiving chamber 2 is made in the form of a horizontal cylinder. Its walls are made of sheet metal welded, brazed, riveted or otherwise sealed at the edges. The suction assembly is essentially the same as that shown in Figs. 1 to 6. Bafile 5 is made with transverse bafiles or walls 43 designed to minimize back and forth movement of the liquid in the receiving chamber. Walls 43 are perforated at 44, 45 to permit liquid to flow freely to the filtering assembly when the machine is tilted into filtering position. The filtering assembly differs from that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 only in details. There is a shell a which, here, is of perforated sheet metal, in

The handle is held in place by milled nuts mounted on screws 38. Control j for valve rod h is mounted so as to be detachable with handle 1 by providing auxiliary rod h arranged to engage by means of a hooked portion 41 on a nut fitted the end of rod h. The

hollow handle 1 fits over a sleeve 38 which is located on chamber 2.

The manner in which the various constructions operate is as follows :Washing liquid is either charged into receiving chamber 2 or spread on the surface to be cleaned. The machine is turned so as to bring the brush into operation, then turned through 90 and dragged across the wet surface. Wiper 12 sweeps the liquid into suction nozzle 3 whence it passes up tube 4, is deflected by baflie 5 and falls into receiving chamber 2. When it is desired to repeat the scrubbing operation, the machine is turned so as to rest on the brush, filter valve 71. is moved to open position and liquid allowed to ass through the filter to the brush. The lter valve is then closed and the machine turned to its suction position.

It is to be understood that the various features of novelty described in connection with any one of the foregoing embodiments of the invention may be applied as well to the others.

\Vhat I claim is 1. An apparatus of the class described comprising in combination a suction nozzle, a receiving chamber communicating with said nozzle, a source of suction connected to the receiving chamber, means for filtering a fluid connected to said receiving chamber, valve means for controlling the rate of flow of fluid from the receiving chamber through the filtering means, and a discharge extending from the discharge side of the filtering means to a point outside of the receiving chamber.

2. An apparatus of the class described comprising in combination, a suction nozzle, a receiving chamber connected to said nozzle, a suctioirgonduit having a terminal orifice in said recelving chamber, battle means positioned in said receiving chamber so as to prevent the flow of aspirated liquids and solids from the suction nozzle to the suction con duit, means connected to the receiving chamber for separating aspirated liquids from the PAUL BRETON. 

